Orangutan escapes enclosure at L.A. Zoo

May 17, 2008 12:00:00 AM PDT

LOS ANGELES --

Visitors to the L.A. Zoo had to evacuate Saturday after an animal escaped its enclosure.Officials at the zoo said an orangutan named Bruno got out of its cage in the afternoon, but did not leave the area around its enclosure.

Bruno is 29 years old, 300 pounds, and is one of six orangutans at the zoo.

The animal has since been recaptured, and no one was hurt. "Fortunately all of our great apes, the staff trained them to allow medical procedures, so the keeper actually put him through his behaviors, and he allowed her to hand inject him with anesthetic and went right to sleep. They carried him to his bedroom, and it was all over in about 20 minutes," said John Lewis, L.A. Zoo director.